How to cook rice & beans with the best local sauce ever ! A step by step guide.

vegetable oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: sunflower oil

Olive oil is healthier while sunflower oil is often cheaper.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth is a healthier option, while water with seasoning is a cost-effective substitute.

In a pot, add washed beans and water, cover, and bring to a rolling boil.

Once boiling, strain and rinse the beans well, then return them to the pot.

Add onions, a bit of salt, and cover to cook until the beans are about 70% soft.

Prep the peppers: remove seeds from long paprika, red bell pepper, and green onion, and blend them roughly in a food processor.

In another pot, heat palm oil on medium heat for about 7 to 10 minutes until it turns honey brown.

Reduce the oil if it seems too much and let it cool completely before proceeding.

Add sliced onions to the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add iru (fermented local beans) and seasoning, and continue to fry for another 30 seconds.

Add the blended pepper mix to the pot and stir well to combine.

Add cleaned panla fish, smoked catfish, and fried mackerel to the sauce.

Incorporate roughly blended crayfish and add eggs to the mixture.

Reintroduce some of the set-aside oil if needed, and add ginger powder for flavor.

Let the sauce fry on very low heat for 12 minutes, stirring gently to avoid breaking the fish.

Check the sauce; if everything is good, take it off the heat.

Back to the beans, after about 30 minutes of cooking, they should be 70% cooked.

Add thoroughly washed rice (washed five times with warm water and salt until the water is clear) to the beans.

Stir to combine and let cook until both the rice and beans are done, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Once cooked, fluff the rice and beans and let them dry if needed.

Dice plantains and fry in oil until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel-lined tray.

Serve the rice and beans, fried plantains, and sauce, preferably wrapped in mooy leaves for added flavor.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary